Have you been a victim of rankism? I did – and it really feels worse than a mere discrimination.

Not trying to raise an issue here by explaining the details, but basically I was called by someone as a second class citizen.

Ouch.

Robert Fuller wrote a knol about rankism, and how it is used to keep you ‘competing’ with those that consider themselves as of higher ranks.

Robert describes rankism as follow:

Rankism is abuse of the power inherent in rank… Rankism occurs when those with authority use the power of their position to secure unwarranted advantages or benefits for themselves at the expense of others. It is the illegitimate use of rank and, equally, the use of rank illegitimately acquired or held.

Robert further explains rankism with examples:

Examples of rankism from everyday life include a boss harassing an employee, a doctor demeaning a nurse, a professor exploiting a graduate student, and students bullying each other. On a societal scale are headline-making stories of political and corporate corruption, sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and the maltreatment of elders in nursing homes.

Robert warned that in we have to differ rankism from rank.

As we love authorities who hold a form or rank and use the power that comes with it in an exemplary way, rank is certainly not rankism. However, if those authorities abuse people’s trust and misuse their power to disadvantage those that ‘rank’ below them, rankism is definitely present and can cause further social problems, such as vengeance of the victim of rankism.

To learn more, please visit the knol written by Robert Fuller.

Image by mio_pls.